TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rear Suspension

Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:37 pm

Hi All,

I recently completed rebuilding the front end on my 83.5 vanagon and it got me to thinking about whether I "needed" to do anything in the rear.

I suppose new shocks and springs there would be nice to match what I did up front. So I'm generally planning to get that done.

But really what I'm curious about is whether it is necessary to replace the rear trailing arm bushings.... I've seen a lot in the forums about what a pain this is but not much about why it would need to be done.

I don't have any noise coming from the rear and want to limit how much I do back there after the bear of a job the front end was.

Thoughts from the great Samba brain??

Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:11 pm

With a 1/2" impact and a huge ball joint rental kit from FLAPS I was able to remove my 83.5s rear trailing arm bushings pretty easily. I even did it with the CV axle on there.

I'd finish the job. Personally I'd recommend doing just the spring and shock. Then next time you have the CV axle off then tackle that trailing arm. Note it'll weigh a lot and you may want to disconnect the brake line and emergency brake line.

Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:28 pm

Drill around the metal sleeve in the center of the bushing then drive it out. Cut off the rubber lip from one side of the bushing and hammer the rest out.
Old squashed bushing don't track well, going through everything makes the van drive very nicely.

Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:00 am

I just finished up replacing the bushings on the driver’s side last weekend and now doing the passenger side this weekend. I took everything out - axle, brakes, hub, springs, mostly to treat some rust in the arm. Worst part was the damn brake line refusing to come apart and not wanting to run new lines from up front if I buggered them up. That and setting the brake shoes up properly when putting it back together (newbie to brake work - had to dissemble once or twice :roll: )

The bushing themselves are not a big deal, after sawsalling the bolts off to drop the arm, I drilled mine out like syncrodoka mentioned. I spent the money for the split Poweflex bushings so I wouldn’t have to hassle with pressing new ones in (no FLAPS in my little town). Spent WAY more time fiddling with the brakes.

Do like shagginwagon83 and not mess with that part of there no reason to.

Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:16 am

spatiald wrote:
I suppose new shocks and springs there would be nice to match what I did up front. So I'm generally planning to get that done.

While I haven't renewed my rear bushings yet, replacing the rear shocks is about the easiest job there is on a Vanagon

I agree with Alaskaberrys on not touching the brake lines, there's lots of risk of turning a small job into a big job if you mess with them unnecessarily.

Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:06 am

If the rear wheel alignment is in spec, I'd find another project on the van. When you will have to replace them is when the rear alignment is out of spec and one or more mounting bolts is seized in the trailing arm bushing. At that point it becomes a big job as described above.

Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:11 am

Thanks all!

This is great info. I'll get the shocks and springs done. Looks like I may have hub work to do on one side relatively soon. But will hold off on the rear bushings until alignment issues come up back there.

If anyone has any other thoughts on this then add them here - I'd hate to miss a good opportunity to do a hard job! :)